The University of Liverpool's own record label is celebrating one of its artists reaching the one million streams milestone, a first for the label and an indication of its growing success.
Merciful Sound, a label run by Department of Music students since 2019, is home to emerging artists from across musical genres, as well as engaging with all aspects of recording, distributing and promoting their work.
Amongst the artists who have called Merciful Sound home is Ota Brown, a singer-songwriter originally from Barcelona, Spain. Having begun her recording and releasing career at the label, she has since gone from strength to strength, with her jazz and pop inspired songs reaching over 100,000 monthly listeners and breaking the 1 million streams goal across multiple streaming services.
Speaking of the support she received from Merciful Sound, Ota said: "The opportunity to release my music through the label pushed me to believe in myself and act on a thought I had in my mind since forever. Once we took the step to release my first EP 'Windows' to the world, it made it so much easier to keep working on my stuff after. 'Windows' has done very well for what I imagined my music could be like, with the single 'Daydream' reaching more than 1 million streams, which is insane.
"It was a fun process, but also quite stressful at times. It felt very nice having a supportive group of people around to help with every aspect of developing a project like 'Windows'. Everyone was very keen to be part of it, and I can only be grateful that they believed in me enough to develop it with me."
You can listen to 'Windows' by Ota Brown on Spotify here.
Student sounds, student led
Merciful Sound, now in its fourth year of activity, gives University of Liverpool students the opportunity to develop the professional skills they need for a career in the music business, whether as musicians, producers, promoters or technicians. Covering everything from artist development, recording, mixing and producing music, promotional and marketing campaigns and legal insights, label alumni leave the University better equipped to follow their chosen careers.
Students also collaborate with Liverpool's existing and well-established music scene, working with venues such as The Arts Bar, Zanzibar, Heebie Jeebies, Kazimier Stockroom, and Rough Trade.
Originally set up by Dr Holly Tessler from the Music Department, the label provides students with the space and freedom to grow artistically and professionally within a supportive and ethical environment.
Dr Jenn Kirby, Lecturer in Music Technology and Music Industries, said: "Students manage every aspect of the label's operations, from signing acts, to recording and production to sales, marketing, and launching releases. Through this work, students gain hands‑on experience in music management, engaging with the full production pipeline of the recording industry.
"Each year, a new team builds on the achievements of the team before them, bringing new artists onto the roster. It's an exciting opportunity, and the students put in a huge amount of work. I believe they really value the experience."
Kimberley Rodriguez, a University student and Team Lead of Promotions and Marketing at Merciful Sound said:
"This module is different compared to others. It's primarily practice-based, exposing us to industry experiences and setting us up for the world. We are held accountable to each other and to our artists. Each year, I learn so much from my peers through both the challenges and successes. It's an experience that prepares us for life after graduation."
Learn more about Merciful Sound and its artists on their website here.
